Fruit-drier



(No Model.) A. R. GAYHART.

FRUIT DRIER.

N0. 261,220. Patented July 18, 1882.,

C! I d.

J l J a 3 6 J1. I? a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO It. GAYHART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,220, dated July 18, 1882.

(No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO R. GAYHART, of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Briers; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The nature of this invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of devices designed for drying or evaporating fruit; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction of rectangular steam-fines, which are placed in inolinedhorizontal positions serially above each other, and are connected together by vertical steamflnes atvariouspoints, whereby the steam is compelled to pass through into and heat the rectangular fines; and in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a suitable reservoir or tank, provided at its front end with an open supplemental tank, a, communication between the two being had through the opening b, which is designed to be closed by a proper plug, 11.

B represents a series of rectangular fines, mounted upon the reservoir A, being supported and separated from each other by the vertical fines 0, each of which opens into each of the fines between which they are situated; and it will be observed that these fines G are not situated directly one above the other in lines, but are irregularin their placements, so that the steam passing first from the reservoir A through the lower series of vertical fines impinges against the top wall of the first or lower rectangular fine, B, which compels it to spread outand fill such flue, from whence it passes through the next series of vertical fines and into the next succeeding rectangular flue, and so on until it reaches the upper one, from whence it passes out through suitable pipes, d. The fiues B incline slightly in difierent directions, so that the water of condensation in each of them may be returned to the reservoir.

In practice this device is designed to be set upon the top of a stove for family use, and water is put into the reservoir A, and the opening I) is plugged up, while a quantity of wateris retained in the supplemental reservoir. As the water in the reservoir is heated it expands and creates steam,which passes, as hereinbefore described, up through the various flues surmounting such reservoir and heats them, and the fruit to be dried, having first been sliced or properly prepared, is placed upon the top of the reservoir and the various fines above it, the heat radiating from the fines evaporating or drying the moisture from the fruit. As the water in the reservoir A necessarily diminishes in quantity by its creation into steam and passing off, it becomes necessary that such reservoir be supplied with a fresh quantity. At this time I remove the plug 1) from the opening I), when the water from the supplemental reservoir passes into it in aheated condition, as itmust necessarily have been heated from its standing upon the stove, when I again stop the opening and fill the supplemental reservoir with fresh water. By this means I am enabled without difficulty to supply my reservoir with heated water at such times as it may be necessary, and not be compelled to introduce cold water for the purpose, which checks the operation of the device.

I am aware of Patent No. 213,233, of 1879, in which the vertical steam-pipes and standards alternate and the reservoir is fed with cold water, and also of Patent No. 206,864, wherein no difierentially-inclined fines nor vertical connecting-tubes are shown. My invention is designed as an improvement upon these patents, and essentially combines the important features of each, while it adds the new feature of having all the fine-supports serve as steam-communications in one direction and a course for the gravitating waterof condensation in the other.

What I claim is p 1. The fruit-drier herein described, consistin g of the reservoir A, the fines B, inclined in different directions, and the pipe-supports (3, arranged in difi'erent vertical lines and serving as steam-connections for the flues B, substanconnections for theflues,the whole constructed,

tially as and for the purpose specified. arranged, and combined to serve as and for 2. The fruit-drier herein described, consistthe purpose specified. ing of the reservoir A, connected water-Warm- ALONZO P. GAYHART. 5 ing reservoir (0, fiues B, inclined in different \Vitnesses:

directions, and the pipe-supports 0, arranged H. S. SPRAGUE, in differentvcrtical lines, and serving as steam- E. SOULLY. 

